I really do think it’s too bad this was done with the A&A brand.
I could understand the appeal of some for this game (not me personally, but that’s because I’m a history game nut, a little less the fantastical), but that’s not what A&A is. WOTC, Hasbro, whoever, could have still made this game under it’s own auspices. They own the license for A&A, unless I’m mistaken. So they could borrowed stylistic/artistic liberties from it, with a new game all it’s own, from another brand they already control without legal issue, I would think.
I also do understand previous posts on what could be done with the A&A brand to attract newer/younger gamers to it, though. Be it a mix of shorter game play, as well as streamlined rules, are better for the casual gamer looking to fill up a Friday evening, and a Friday evening only.
I know they’re not the most popular with this forum, but I rather liked the individual battle A&A games of Guadalcanal, Battle of the Bulge, and D-Day, for their quicker pace. I still pull out the D-Day game if we want to get a craving in, but don’t have time or space to set up Global 1940. It’s a different game, unquestionably, but it’s still entertaining. A Stalingrad, El Alamein, Market Garden, etc. game would be appealing in that regard as well. Just because they’re different from the A&A games we know and love on a global scale, doesn’t make a localized theater game with a different/modified rule-set not fun in it’s own way!
But to play devils advocate again, I understand where the WWII/historical realm may not exactly excite the young gamer, so at that I’m at a bit of a loss as it comes to A&A in general.
djensen, I don’t blame you for contemplating opening up this forum to a wider array of games. You’d know more than I, but I’d imagine the traffic coming through, and amount of contributors would go up, making your life running this site much easier. All that means for us is one more sub click to get to the A&A section of a wider forum, not too hard I don’t think. :-)